A Recap of the Lightning's Weekend in Buffalo

Free agents were signed! Trades were consummated! Teenagers were drafted!  It was everything that Tampa Bay Lightning fans had hoped for. Yet, at the same time, there was a prevailing sense of incompleteness presiding over the weekend as well.  For all of the action it was the inaction that was the biggest story to come out of the 2016 NHL Draft.  After the dust settled, Steven Stamkos was still part of the team (although possibly in a contractual sense of the word only) and Andrei Vasilevskiy is still the backup goalie.

The big hype during the draft was that Ben Bishop was on the move.  It made sense. There were a couple of teams that needed goalies (Calgary and Dallas), the Lightning needed some cap relief and might be interested in moving up the draft board.  Besides they have a 21-year-old kid ready to assume the starter’s spot.  In the end it was St. Louis who stepped up to the plate and traded away one of their goalies (Brian Elliot) for a minimal return (2nd round pick and conditional 3rd ).

Hopefully if that’s what Calgary offered for Bishop, Mr. Yzerman hung up the phone before Brian Burke finished his sentence.  You would hope a two-time Vezina-nominated goalie would be worth more than a couple of picks, although the rumor that Bishop wanted a  7-year, $49 million extension probably didn’t help things out.  The good news for Mr. Yzerman is that teams will always need goalies and waiting a little longer isn’t going to hurt Bishop’s value (unless he blows out a knee in the World Cup).

Bishop is under contract for one more season. Worst case scenario (barring injury) is that he has another good season and walks away from the team next July. Even in that case, the silver lining is that the Lightning wouldn’t have to protect him in the upcoming expansion draft, leaving them free to keep Vasilevskiy in the fold. I’m not sure what the best case is yet, but it probably involves another team panicking and throwing prospects at Mr. Yzerman.

Someone who is not under contract for another season (at least not yet) is Steven Stamkos.  As the days tick by it looks like the most prolific non-Russian goal-scorer in the league is going to be a free agent.  The draft seemed to be the last chance for the Lightning to announce they re-signed their captain.  After all it’s always nice to announce a big deal when the whole league is together in once place.  Also, it would mark the end of the period where they had exclusive negotiating rights with him.

So when Friday turned into Saturday and the Lightning’s exclusive negotiating window vanished into the Buffalo sky with no deal announced his free agency more or less was open to everyone.  And by everyone, I mean everyone.  While it was once thought that the choice would be Toronto or Tampa, it now seems that every hockey team except for the Cardiff Devils have expressed interest in signing Stamkos (I hope he has unlimited minutes on his cell phone plan…I wonder what carrier he uses?  Has he ever done a cell phone commercial?  I don’t think he has. It seems like one of the superstars of hockey should be advertising for a phone company…which is probably something that the Leafs pointed out to him during their sales pitch).

If I was Stamkos' agent - this is how I answer the phone.

Is it a forgone conclusion that his days in Tampa are over?  I don’t think so.  Stamkos strikes me as the type of guy who likes to have all of the information available before he makes a decision.  So even if he is leaning toward coming back, what does it hurt to hear what other teams have to say?  Besides if a GM or two is going to buy him a free steak over the next week, why not listen?

Unfortunately for Mr. Yzerman, Stamkos’ lack of a decision makes his life a little bit harder.  At this moment he is Schrodinger’s GM.  He is currently having to operate in a status where Stamkos is still with the Lightning and a status where Stamkos is not with the Lightning.  Unfortunately the rest of the NHL does not, and will not, wait for the pale-skinned blonde from Markham to figure who is going to give him millions of dollars.

So Mr. Yzerman is stuck trying to continue fill the needs of two very different teams.  A Lightning team with Stamkos needs minor tinkering.  Some help on the blue line, maybe a possession forward who can win face-offs, and little salary cap space to make those moves.  A team without Stamkos needs the same things and a way to fill a 35-40 goal offensive void.  Granted, there is a at least $7.5 million more in cap space to deal with, but replacing that type of offense requires more than a snap of the fingers.

In the meantime Mr. Yzerman does still have other things to worry about like pending restricted free agents and a winger with a broken hip.  He also has to mend the ego of a starting goaltender who was thrown out as trade bait for 48 hours.  While I’m sure Bishop understands the business side, it’s still a shot to the ego to be dangled out in front of other teams.

He did clear up some paperwork on Monday by making offers to seven of those pending restricted free agents. Only David Broll was left out.  While this doesn’t automatically mean the Lightning will re-sign all of them it does give them right of first refusal or draft pick compensation should some team come sniffing around with an offer sheet.  It buys him some time (like, until Stamkos makes up his mind) to figure out what kind of long term contracts he can work out with Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov.

As for players he’s already taken care of, Luke Witkowski picked up a one year contract while JT Brown and Cedric Paquette inked two year deals.  Brown was a good signing as he as emerged as an important shut-down forward for the Lightning.  His speed and fore checking can be quite disruptive to other teams (now if he can just learn to put the puck in the net).  Witkowski is depth on the blueline and a possible captain for Syracuse.  Paquette, whose cousin Chris was drafted by the Lightning this weekend, struggled against the Penguins but also fills a needed role in the bottom six.

After wrapping up those deals the draft was probably the easiest thing Mr. Yzerman had to deal with over the last couple of months.  He made it quite clear that current events don’t dictate who he picks in a draft. After all, by the time these kids are ready who knows what the team will look like. In all the Lightning drafted 10 players (1 goalie, 2 defensemen and 7 forwards).

Surprisingly Mr. Yzerman didn’t trade down from his first round pick or trade one of his extra second round picks.  In a move that stunned a lot of the Lightning faithful he actually traded for another second round pick.  The price for that pick was Anthony DeAngelo, the former first round pick who was slated to spend another season in Syracuse before being considered a part of the Lightning’s blueline in the future.

St. Pete Times beat writer Joe Smith intimated that DeAngelo might have requested a move to get a fresh start with a new organization.  If it was then, Jonathan Drouin, this is how you request a trade without embarrassing your GM and organization.  If he didn’t make the request then perhaps Mr. Yzerman and his staff didn’t see DeAngelo’s game progressing the way they would like it.

You can say a lot of things about Mr. Yzerman, but one thing he does well is cut the right young players loose. Have any of the young players that he has traded come back to haunt the Lightning?  If Brett Connolly could stay healthy maybe he would be the exception.

Speaking of Brett’s, the Lightning selected Brett Howden from Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League.  Howden is the definition of a safe pick.  He has size (6’2”) and was projected to be a late first round, early second round pick. He plays a two-way game (how Coach Cooper-y!) with his offense coming from hard work in front of the net. He might not have the most skill or speed (something his critics are lamenting) but he isn’t going to burn you with bad plays either.

His contributions to the Lightning are years away though.  The curse of a competitive team is that draft picks rarely vault straight to the big club.  In all likelihood it is back to the WHL for another year and then some time helping Syracuse rebuild as a contender.

I commented to Link that I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a fan base slightly disappointed that their number one goalie and number one scorer weren’t traded in the same weekend, but that’s the feeling I got from some of the Lightning fans on Twitter.  The thought of Stamkos walking “for nothing” really seems to be stuck in their craw.

My philosophy is that what we “got” was four seasons of Steven Stamkos.  We didn’t get three or three and a half seasons of him and some assets in a trade.  Nor did we “get” pennies on the dollar by trading him at the draft.  What we also have is a shot to re-sign him.  If Mr. Yzerman had traded him away, his days in Tampa were most assuredly over.  Now, for at least the next week or so the door is still open for him to come back.  Will he walk through that door?

Some Thoughts on the Upcoming Draft

The finals are trickling down to NBC’s preferred money shot of Sidney Crosby raising the Stanley Cup over his head one more time.  Once that happens (which should be sometime in the next three weeks based on the Finals scheduling) it’s time to truly look at the off-season. And what an off-season it will be for the Lightning!  Between free agents, dwindling salary cap space, a possible expansion draft and a couple of restricted free agents that other teams may actually tender a contract to, Steve Yzerman isn’t going to be spending too much time on a golf course this summer.

 First up, live from the First Niagara Center in beautiful Buffalo, New York, the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.  Not only is it the day that hundreds of young Canadians realize their lifelong dream of getting drafted by a NHL team, it’s also one of the last moments for General Managers to meet in one room and talk about swapping each others bad contracts.

If things hold as they are now the Tampa Bay Lightning will be drafting 27th, just after the Washington Capitals and before the St. Louis Blues.  The downside of a successful team is that it’s kind of hard to get excited about the draft. Really, the only thing that I’m looking forward to is if anyone drafted shakes up BoltProspects rankings.

They will most likely draft a kid that will spend at least one more year in junior hockey and then spend a year or two in Syracuse (or maybe Kalamazoo!). By the time they’re ready to crack the NHL squad who knows what the team will look like? Steven Stamkos could be enjoying his third season of missing the playoffs with Toronto.  Nikita Kucherov could be earning tens of millions of mob-related money in the KHL.  Ben Bishop could be backstopping the Las Vegas Aces to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Draft = NHL Combine = Awesome Photos like this. #NeverForget

That’s why, more than any other league, teams should draft the best available player, not for any special needs.  Yes, the Lightning might be light on defensemen in the system right now, but will they be in three years?  Who knows?  Take the best talent and let the cards fall as they may.

Would Mr. Yzerman be tempted to leap up in the draft this year?  He has more reason this year than any other during his regime.  Losing Steven Stamkos in free agency would leave a glaring hole in the top six and he has a pretty lucrative trade chip in his pocket in Jonathan Drouin.  Edmonton is known to be interested in moving down from their spot at number four in the draft.  Would they take the talented, but mercurial Drouin for that spot?  Would Matthew Tkachuk, Alex Nylander or Jesse Puljujarvi be worth it to the Lightning?

In all likelihood Mr. Yzerman will not trade up. In fact, he is more likely to trade down like he did last year. If it looks like their player is going to be available in the second round why not trade down and pick up a couple of assets?  In order to do that, I think he would have to work out a deal with someone who has a top five pick in the second round.  If you look at last season they traded out of the 28th spot for two second round picks.  They then used one of those picks to take Mitchell Stephens third in the second round.  In essence they moved down 5 spots.

Could they have drafted Stephens in the first round?  Of course, but then they wouldn’t have picked up an extra second round draft pick.  Mr. Yzerman likes to acquire assets and if he can get the player he wants AND an extra draft pick, chances are he’s going to do it.

The Lightning have held the 27th pick once before during the Yzerman Era.  In 2011 they drafted a young Russian who had been playing in the OHL by the name of Vladislav Namestnikov.  He was the first of three Russians drafted by Mr. Yzerman that year being followed by Nikita Kucherov and Nikita Nesterov.  Oh and he rounded off his day by drafting a Czech kid by the name of Ondrej Palat in the 7th round in what might have been the best draft in team history.

Somehow he looks older in this draft photothan he does now. #RussianBieber

If he does decide to keep the pick, who are they going to draft?  I don’t really know. Once you get past Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine I have no idea how good the rest of the draft is.  So to get a gauge on how the Lightning might go I went to the internet and delved into the wonderful world of mock drafts or as I like to say - it's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.

Kid, I've seen drafts from all over the galaxy and there is no way Yzerman is trading up.

Let’s take a look at what some of the sites had to say about who the Lightning might draft:

Allen Mitchell - The Bleacher Report

Nathan Bastian - C/RW Mississauga Steelheads

 A 6’4” 200 lb forward who is a two-way forward?  Well that sounds intriguing.  While he might not light up the scoreboard he sounds like the responsible sort of player that would thrive under Coach Cooper.  A question mark could be his size.  He is one of the bigger forwards in the OHL and uses his size to gain control of the puck.  Will that skill transfer to the NHL when he’s battling people his own size or bigger?

Adam Kimelman - NHL.com

Vitaly Abramov - Gatineau Olympiques

Russian - check
Undersized - check
Pretty good skill set - check
Sounds like a dream pick for Mr. Yzerman.  A fast skater with a good shot is always worthy of a first round pick.  If he’s available at 27 I think it would be hard for the Lightning to say no.

Consensus - My NHL Draft

Samuel Girard - Shawinigan Cataractes

Keeping with the undersized theme, but switching from offense to defense, Girard is a puck moving defenseman with strong skating skills and “excellent vision”.  At 5’10” he won’t tower over opponents like the rest of the Lightning’s blue liners several report mention his “strong lower” body and willingness to play the body.  After another season of watching the Lightning struggle to pass it out of the defensive zone it would be nice to see someone other than Victor Hedman who can actually skate it out.

Bill Placzek - Draftsite.com

Pascal Laberge - Victoriaville Tigers

Laberge sounds like a more traditional offensive player with decent size, shifty skills and an elusive shot. When reading scouting reports the usual draft clichés seem to apply - needs to get stronger, needs to be more responsible in his own end.  His ability to make plays and willingness to get in the corners to dig out pucks could make him an intriguing pick up.  A high-skill grinder could fit in well if paired up with a pure-goal scoring sniper.

Craig Button - TSN

Will Bitten - Flint Firebirds

Another under-6’ tall center who plays a strong two-way game.  It seems that the prognosticators thing Mr. Yzerman has a type of player he likes.  I do enjoy hearing the term “tenacious” when describing a forward playing defense, but do you take someone who sounds like a 3rd line center with a first round, even if it’s late in the first round, pick?  He sounds like someone who will be available in the second round.

It looks like there is absolutely zero consensus on who the Lightning will pick at 27.  Which is normal for a pick that late in the draft.  I’m sure the organization itself is still hammering out their final short list of players that they want.  Personally I would think they lean towards picking up an offensive player in the first round as there seems to be a deeper well of talent than for blue liners.

Why Not Follow Up a Blockbuster Season With a Blockbuster Trade?

There are a lot of advantages to rooting for a successful hockey franchise. It’s great to watch a game knowing that your team has a chance to win. Playoff beards are fun to grow. The trading deadline is no longer about what prospects you can get, but what prospects you can give up in order to get that big name out there (and they don’t get any bigger than Antoine Vermette!). However, there is at least one diamond that loses it’s luster the more successful a team gets - the draft.

As a Lightning fan who’s been around for awhile I’ve had the pleasure of watching them draft number one overall twice (Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos), second (Victor Hedman) and number three twice( Alex Svitov and Jonathan Drouin). I was really excited for all of those drafts, and really, really happy with who they drafted - even Alex Svitov (go ahead, look at that draft and see who else was available).

High draft picks are fun, because they are filled with so much promise, so much potential.  After a miserable season fans can say, “Hey, that sucked but think how much better we’re going to be with -------”.  It makes marketing the team easier.  “Seen Stamkos” “The Michael Jordan of Hockey” - that‘s what you do with a first overall pick.  I mean, he’s a nice guy, but I don’t think you’re going to build a season ticket buying campaign around Mikko Rantanen.

So as the Lightning keep winning on the ice, the chances of drafting a dynamic, franchise player keeps getting less and less likely.  And unfortunately the chances of Conner McDavid going to Edmonton (where 1st round picks fade into obscurity) get more and more likely.  Luckily, I have a plan to solve both problems (and a third problem yet to be mentioned!)

Now, we all know that General Manager Yzerman is cool, calculating, ruthless acquirer of talent. He holds no player sacred, everyone on the roster is expendable as long as they can be used to make the team on the ice better.  Think about it. Is there anyone in the organization that you would say it 100% untouchable? He’s traded and bought out captains. He’s traded potential Calder Trophy winners and Calder Cup finalists. HE TRADED TEDDY PURCELL! In short nothing is more important than the constant improvement of the team.

So if there is any GM in the league that is willing to pull of a draft day shocker it’s Mr. Yzerman.  It’s not out of the realm of possibility that, on the eve of the draft, in a hotel room in South Florida that Mr. Yzerman picks up the phone and calls Peter Chiarelli with a Godfather deal.

For the overall number one pick, the rights to Nail Yakapov and a second round pick the Tampa Bay Lightning trade their 1st round pick , Ben Bishop, Jonathan Drouin and Matt Carle.

“Jon Cooper held a gun to his head, and Yzerman assured Chiarelli that either his brains or his signature would be on that trade sheet.”

I know I just made Jon Cooper Luca Brasi in this scenario So would that make Julien Brisebois Michael Corleone? Can we work out the cast of the Godfather with Lightning employees? Sounds like a late July post to me.

Not to dwell too deep into this fantasy scenario but, out of all of the GM’s in the league Mr. Yzerman is the one that you could see doing that, right?  Imagine what would happen if something along those lines happened in real life?  What’s the penalty for threatening another GM with death over a trade? Forfeit a season? Disband the team? Lose all of your draft picks?  Would anyone every hire Yzerman again (after his jail term of course)?  “Sure he threatened to kill someone, but that just shows his will to win!”

I almost want it to happen just to see the reaction on Twitter and the rest of the internet.  Heck, hockey might even grace Sportscenter for more than 14 seconds a day.  It would be hard to knock that story out of the news cycle.

But back to the actual trade.


Who says no to that deal? The Oilers fill two of their most glaring needs - number one goalie defense. Before you say anything about Matt Carle, can you name two defensemen better currently on their roster? He would play 20 minutes a game on that team.  Oh, and they get a pretty good player in Drouin, who if rumors are to be believed, is on the trading block.

No matter what the Oilers do, they‘re not going to get seriously better until they solve their problems between the goal pipes. Bishop, while not an elite goaltender, has proven that he is a capable number one who can steal games when his team needs him. They have enough cap room to absorb both contacts and still have room to make other moves.

Drouin finds himself on a team where he isn’t blocked by half-a-dozen other young offensive stars. He showed flashes of his ability throughout the season and despite whatever went on in the playoffs he’s going to be a good player in the league. Throw him on a line with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle and that could be a lot of fun to watch.

The Oilers give up on a generational player, but become a much more competitive team. It won’t spring them up into the Blackhawks/Ducks stratosphere, but it does put them on par with Colorado, San Jose and all of the other borderline playoff teams.  Plus, based on the history of Edmonton and their top picks, perhaps it’s better that the best prospect since Sidney Crosby stays as far away as possible from Oil Country.

The Lightning shed enough cap space so they can afford Stamkos without hamstringing themselves against the cap for future deals. The Triplets are going to need new deals soon and Victor Hedman’s extension doesn’t seem as long as it was when he signed it.

With Bishop and his $5.95 million cap hit safely north of the border the Bolts also clear up a bit of their goaltending logjam.  Andrei Vasilevskiy looks like he can handle the NHL.  Yes, that’s based on a small sample size, but Mr. Yzerman isn’t afraid to take a risk or two. Adam Wilcox can’t stay in college forever and he will move up the depth chart quickly once he turns pro.

As for Yakopov? Well, maybe he clicks with a few more Russians on the team or Mr. Yzerman flips him for draft picks.

Remember that third problem I mentioned earlier?  McDavid could be the solution to it.  It’s the problem that we as Lightning fans have tried to downplay. We really, really don’t want to think about it this year, but it does linger in the back of our brains like a spider egg.

What if Steven Stamkos really does want to play for Toronto?  What if, come 2016, he basically thanks us for the support but goes to play for his hometown team? Can I really blame him?  Can any of us? After all, when we’re growing up and dreaming of playing in the big leagues, be it baseball, hockey, football or soccer, don’t we dream of playing for our favorite team.  I remember those days in high school when I thought a 76-mph fastball and a questionable work ethic would get me to the majors I didn’t dream of playing for Cleveland or Houston.  I wanted to take the mound in Camden Yards.

So can we begrudge Stamkos if, having completed his indentured servitude to the Lightning, wants to go home and play for the Leafs?  Sure, we can be pissed, but he‘s earned that right.  In a perfect world the Lightning would make a deal for McDavid, re-sign Stamkos and create a Florida hockey empire. This isn’t a perfect world so good general managers have back up plans. Having McDavid spend a season watching Stamkos play wouldn’t be a bad back up plan.

The good news for Mr. Yzerman is that the doesn’t have to be exclusive to Edmonton. Buffalo’s deadline purge left them without a franchise goalie as well  and Jack Eichel wouldn’t be a bad plan C. They could even stuff him back in college for another year without losing too much offense on the main club.

Having done a quick search of the 2017 draft eligible players, it doesn’t look like there is the once-in-a-generation player available so striking this year would make a lot of sense. It’s also in keeping with the way Mr. Yzerman operates, always with an eye on the future. He keeps control of his salary cap, keeps the team flush with young talent and arguably makes the team better.

I know this isn’t going to happen.  In fact this whole post is nothing more than an extended (E4) rumor.  Isn’t that what this time of year is all about?

So The Lightning Had an Interesting Week

Lets all reflect on the biggest takeaway from the Lightning’s 2013 draft - Steve Yzerman did not draft a Russian.  He did take a Latvian, Kristers Gudlevskis, who plays in the Russian junior league so he came close. However, for the first time since 2010 the Bolts organization did not dip into the wealth of talent available from the Mother Land (and you know he was eying Valeri Nichushkin).

He also didn’t draft a defenseman even though Seth Jones was still sitting there when Mr. Yzerman went to the podium to announce the selection. Visions of Victor Hedman and Seth Jones terrorizing teams for the next 8 seasons had to be pretty tempting. That being said, Steven Stamkos taking one-timers from Jonathan Drouin isn’t something goalies are going to want to see anytime soon.

Perhaps this is an indication of a shift in organizational philosophy. Former Orioles GM Andy McPhail had a “grow the arms, buy the bats” philosophy to building a team. Perhaps Mr. Yzerman is instituting a “grow the goal scorers and buy the blueline” method.


(umm...yeah those three minutes made me feel A LOT better about this kid)


Of course, for the Lightning no matter who they drafted they would be overshadowed by the really, really big news - the severing of ties with captain Vincent Lecavalier.  On Thursday, owner Jeff Vinik bit the bullet and cut a large check to tell the all-time Lightning goal leader that his services were no longer welcome. According to ESPN, Lecavalier receives an $8 million payout in full and then two-thirds of his remaining contract ($24.67 million) spread out over 14 years. No matter what he does the Lightning will cut him a check for $1.76 million every year.  Not a bad deal.

So long shirtless Lecavalier.  May you bring page hits to bloggers for your new team

The good news for the Lightning is that they now have an extra $7 million and change of cap room to play with and they save about $50 million over the life of the contract. For the long term health of the franchise, that savings is nothing to sneeze at. Mr. Yzerman now has a little more flexibility to fill the holes in the roster that were evident even when Lecavalier was still lacing up the skates with Tampa Bay.

In all likelihood the bulk of any investment is going to go towards the defense.  Currently the team has 6 healthy defenders inked to contracts (Matt Carle, Hedman, Eric Brewer, Sami Salo, Radko Gudas and Keith Aulie).  It’s a solid if unremarkable group of blue liners that the fans would definitely like to see upgraded.  While the free agent market isn’t exactly overflowing with talent (Ryan Whitney, Toni Lydman, Brett Clark?) the Lightning do have depth to trade from.

The organization has already dipped into that well once using Cory Conacher as bait to bring in Ben Bishop to hopefully solve their goaltending woes.  With Jonathan Drouin and Adam Erne soon to be added to the fold that well is even deeper.  Brett Connolly seems to be the leading candidate to be moved as his size and tenacity are big draws for other teams (and because why not trade the last remaining player in my personal collection).

Next season is going to be a big one for Mr. Yzerman.  The team’s recent inability to win consistently has already cost Coach Boucher his job and if they struggle again it’s most likely the general manager’s head on the chopping block.  There is way too much talent on the roster for this team to be drafting in the top 10 every year.    He needs to find a way to get the team out of the funk they’ve been in the last two years and have them compete with Boston, Toronto, Montreal and the rest of their new division.

Another benefit from kicking Lecavalier to the curb is that Mr. Yzerman frees up money to retain his younger players in the future.  While the cap is undoubtedly going to rise after this year, he has a host of young talent that he needs to lock up long term. Players like Connolly, Alex Killorn, Richard Panik (not winning man of the year in Grand Rapids anytime soon), and Tyler Johnson are considered the next wave of impact players and none of them are signed past next season. While the Lightning retain control of the contracts and therefore negotiating power, it would be nice to lock them up for a few years down the road.

Lets not forget the Rocket Richard-sized elephant hiding in the corner.  Steven Stamkos is going to need a new contract after 2015-16.  While it’s a little early to start the Stammergeddon 2 Goal Scoring Boggaloo Watch it is something to consider. When it is time to re-sign him the Lightning will be looking at trying to retain one of the most prolific, post-lockout scorers in his athletic prime.  Good luck on getting a hometown discount!

The other side of the Lecavalier coin is where does he end up and how much do I care.  I’ve made no secret of the fact that he is my favorite player on the team and that my entire Lightning history is pretty much centered around his career. For those who are new to these parts, I started going to games the year before he was drafted.  So next season is going to be the first season I’ve watched the Lightning without Wizard for Ile Bizard on the roster (and yes I’m upset that that nickname never caught on). It’s going to be weird.

Even when he was hurt the last few seasons there was always the anticipation of his return and the impact that would have on the team. Now….nothing. No more dispute of whose line should St. Louis be on. No more quest to find the perfect winger for Lecavalier (Simon Gagne, Jussi Jokinen, Matthew Barnaby among a cast of thousands). No more complaining about his $10 million contract and 60 point production.  God, what are fans going to bitch about next season.  The goaltending? Oh ok, cool.  As long as they have something.

So back to his eventual destination.  It’s more that there are teams I DON’T want to see him on.  Namely, Boston, Toronto or Philadelphia.  Of course, all three teams have expressed interest (along with every other team in the league).  But it would seem so weird, almost dirty to see him in a Philly uniform.  Not quite as unholy as Jagr in Flyers’ orange, but still so, so weird. I hold out the hope that he signs a one-year deal and then ends up back in Tampa at a reduced rate.  Hey….a boy can dream, right?

It is funny to see all the love he’s getting now after years of being branded as overpaid and underachieving. Fans of other teams who have laughed at his contract (looking at you Toronto) are now talking themselves into signing him to a three or four year deal.

He should have no problem finding a place in the league.  He can still put up 20 goals and 50-60 points for a team when healthy.  Could Edmonton use him?  Most definitely, he’d be a great influence on a young team. As long as he stays away from Montreal he also has the advantage of lower expectations.  Wherever he goes no one is going to brand him the Michael Jordan of hockey before he has a chance to take the ice for them.

Will I keep collecting his cards - probably.  Unlike Crawford, Tokarski and soon to be Connolly, I have quite a bit invested in my Lecavalier collection.  Why stop now?  Besides it’s going to be so awesomely awkward to get that first card of him in a Blackhawk uniform.

The free agent frenzy begins in a few days and while it’s not likely that the Lightning will be big players, they have put themselves in position to find at least one impact player before training camps open in the fall.  Cutting Lecavalier was tough for management and tough for the fans, but in the end it makes the team better. As much as we love the names on the back of the uniforms, it’s the crest on the front that we really cheer for.

Quick Notes

Sad Messi wants more blogposts!

I'm working on some posts to get this site up and running on a regular basis again, but for now here are some quick notes from around the Justin G. sports world.

- The NFL Draft starts tonight. Yeah, I have no clue who the Ravens are drafting nor do I care. If they drafted the resurrected corpse of Bubba Smith I would think it was a good pick. I like watching the draft coverage because Mel Kiper is so earnest when talking about the draft picks.  As if it really matters in the long run. 

- Speaking of resurrections - we renamed one of our cats JesusCat.  I can't wait to take him to the vet and let them know of the name change. Added bonus - he'll get reminders in the mail addressed to JesusCat when it's time for us to schedule a visit.  Awesome.

- The O's are in first place.  Yes I'm enjoying it.  Yes I know it won't last.  I'm not worried where they finish in the standings, I'm more concerned with the possibility of them destroying the record for strikeouts by a team and errors by a third baseman.

- Roberto Luongo may be heading to the Lightning. Or the Maple Leafs. Or the Blackhawks.Or he might stay with the Canucks. Or he might retire and open a pizza joint.

- I just had a card-tastrophe.  Went to grab a box off the shelf in my closet and a piece of paper on top of it started to slide off.  So I went after the paper and dropped the box. Five-thousand cards crashed onto the ground, well some of them on the cat (not JesusCat). While I was initially upset, a part of me is excited to sort them all out again.  I LOVE sorting cards.

- If you want to get a lot of page hits over the next couple of months just throw "Roberto Luongo" and "Trade" in a title.

- Two songs stuck in my head over the last two weeks.  Gotye's "Someone I used to know" (pronounced goat-ee-A apparently) and fun's "We Are Young." Not sure if I like Gotye, but it's growing on me.  First heard "We Are Young" at Wrestlemania where they used it to pimp the John Cena/Rock match-up.  Probably would have been better for the Undertaker/HHH match.  Yes, I am a dork.

- Went to my first roller derby match last weekend.  Liked it, will probably write about it (sometime in the next three months).

- Three straight games for Messi not showing up..is he hurt or should we start the "Messi can't perform in a big game" articles. Whoops.  Already there.  Although "rendered impotent" is a bit harsh.

- Yeah, I'll go over my horrible first round picks this weekend once the first round is over.